Thursday, November 05, 2009

Hola, amigos! Let's head south of the border, down Mexico way! Now, when you think Mexican heroes, probably there are certain names that pop into your head: Zorro! El Santo! Speedy Gonzales! And, of course, El Chapulin Colorado (and other native Mexican heroes!) But there's always the man whose fame and legend has spread even beyond the Rio Grande, el Hombre de Acero himself, Superman!

Because yes, you can buy Superman comics in Mexico. Why, only the other day my Mexican cousin, Torito el Pequeño Toro Relleno Mexicano, was telling me that he'd saved up all his pesos and bought a grande stack of old Superman comics that were published in the early 1970s. And I was surprised and delighted to find out they had elaborate painted covers rather than the simple four-color press process we have had here in the USA. Even more startling, these painted covers were new versions of classic Action and Superman comic book covers from the 1950s! So there, Alex Ross...you were not the first person to invent the reimagining of classic comics through the medium of paint! Through the magic of the internet, let's take a look at Torito's collection, matched up with my American comics! The Mexican counterparts, published by Editorial Novaro starting in 1973, and while the covers took their design from DC's versions, they were frequently more colorful, bedazzling...sometimes even more dynamic than the American versions. Take a big gander at this example, f'r instance, which takes Superman #126's electrozapping memory machine and cranks it up about one bajillion levels in energy:

In this pair of covers, Superman Island looks even more mountainous and craggy, the jet plane faster and more powerful, and even Superman's in a more dynamic pose. I still can't figger out how millions of years of erosion resulted in an 'S' shaped plateau, but hey, imagine how much that beach-front property is worth!

Here's a fairly close rendering between original and Mexican version, but the Editorial Novaro gives us more Super-Sphinx rock texture than ever before!

Action Comics #240 and Superman Libro Comic #6

Sometimes the Mexican comic is clearly based on the American version, but has been pumped up to even bigger action! Check out Mexican Gwen Stacy, young Ricardo Montalban and the Latino version of that guy freaking out on the corner of Action #1 on this Editorial Novaro version!

Action Comics #227 and Superman Libro Comic #2

After their first dozen or so issues, Superman Libro Comic moves into original covers...at least, I can't find their counterparts in Action or Superman...let me know in the comments if you spot that they're from any American versions. Here's Mexi-Supes getting his revenge on that eye-blasting Sphinx from up above:

Here's Superman and a symbolic, gold-spectacled Clark Kent looking over him. Where does he get those fabulous glasses? Maybe molded from the giant coins he's stolen from Scrooge McDuck's money bin?!?

And who can forget the issue where Superman hung out with his crimefighting partner...The Guy Who Bought a Batman Costume at the Local Corner Shop!